Process and means for treating fabrics



I treats 30mm, 0E WILMETTE, ILLHTOIS EB'DGESS AND WW5 FOR TREATING FABRICS its Drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in process and means for treating fabrics for rendering them waterproof, moth-proof, mildew-proof, mold-proof, and insect repellent.

An object of my invention is to provide a. process for treating fabrics which does not involve the use of inflammable materials, thereby providing a treatment which can be carried out without any fire hazard.

A iurther'object is to provide an economical process in which the only solvent employed is wster.

A further object is to provide a process which will result in a product entirely free from the stickiness and greasiness which is so characteristic in the ordinary waterproofing treatments where oils, waxes, metallic soa s and the lilre sreemployed in hydrocar. on oil solvents.

A further object is to provide a means for treating textiles so as to increase their wearlog qualities and at the some time making them hold their shape better as in the case of folded or pleated goods.

@ther objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended. claims.

in carrying out my invention, 1 provide two solutions, which I will term A and B, respectively. As an example of the-solution A, l may use the following:

15 parts oi? soap 10 parts of casein (put into solution with borer) 5 parts carrageen (from lirish moss) 36 parts bentonite 5% parts petrolatum 242% parts water.

Application filed Harsh 14, 1927. serial E'o. 175,441

has been perfectly incorporated, the melted petrolatum is slowly added, the liquid being continuously beaten.

More or less water ma be used within wide limits. It will be un erstood that this is given only as an example. Many difierent colloidalizing agents may be used in varying proportions, the essential ingredient being the colloidalized clay or bentonite. Without this, such permanent emulsions can be secured by such emulsifying or colloidalizing agents only in case they are relatively very concentrated-more in the nature of salves than solutions. Sodium alginate me be also used as a colloidalizing agent, while eeswax, carnauba wax, paraflin, lanolin and the like can be put into a permanent colloidal emulsion which will not separate .on long standing, even though quite dilute. Any of these latter could therefore be used in lieu of. the petrolatum without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, other materials, such as ochres, dry pigments and dyes,

as well as fireproofin materials suchessodrum silicate and sodium tungstate, may be incorporated without destroying the character of the colloidal emulsion. Also, very much lerger proportions of oils and waxes may be used, if desired.

As an example of solution B, l may give the following:

Cerium chloride 1 pm Water lOpart-s immersed and thoroughly wetted with the A. solutiomthen wrung out and passed at once into the B solution, then washed in water to remove excess metallic salts, wrung and dried.

In the example given above where petrolstum is used, it Wlll be noted that as much as three-fourths of the entire weight of the Mill ' meson solids de osited upon the cloth is etrolatum, and yet t e finished goods is who y without eny easiness. This, as may be understood, is a 'ghly desirable property, One result is that the goods remain cleaner than where the greasiness or stichness tends to catch and retain dirt. All the ingredients as well as the finished product are odorless.

By suitable modification, such as using white waxes and colloidalizing agents, it is possible to leave the appearance of the treated goods entirely unchanged, but at the same time to render them water, ;moth, mildew and mold-proof, and in case salts of the radio- 3 active metals are used, highly repellent to cockroaches, ants, bed-bugs and the like. As steted above, the treatment actually makes the goods wear longer, since the nap is less easil; rubbed 0E and the goods hold their 2Q shape and pre% better. Another ieature is that goods so treated are li ht instead of being dark and gloomy as is t e case of tents treated in the ordinary ways to render them waterproof.

in lieu of the natural colloidalized clay or bentonite, 1 may use artificially colloidalized clay, made by grindin the clay with a dilute solution of tannic acid l cleim 530 1. The herein described steps in a process of'treating textiles, which consist in forming an emulsion containing petrolatum kept in suspension by the conjoint action of bentonite and an auxiliary emulsifying agent, wetting the textile with the emulsion, and subsequently treating the textile with a solution of a rare earth chloride, whereby a salt of the NTEE'LB earth chloride is precipitated in the texti e.

40 2. The herein described steps in a process of treating textiles, which consist in forming an emulsion containing petrolatum kept in suspension by the conjoint action of bentonits and an auxiliary emulsifying agent, wetet ting the textile with the emulsion, and subsequently treating the textile with a solution of a rare earth salt, whereby a salt of the rare earth metalffs precipitated in the textile.

3. The herein described steps in a process w of treating textiles, which consist in forming an emulsion. containing petrolaturn kept in suspension by the conjoint action of an equal proportion of bentonite and auxiliary emulsiiying agents, wetting the textile with an.

. 5 einulsion, and subsequently treatin the textile with a solution of a rare earth sat, where'- by a saltof the rare earth is precipitated in the Wxtile. v w HILTON EBA JQR'ES, 

